Leading global drone manufacturer Autel Robotics is facing intense international scrutiny after images in ads for its forthcoming Titan delivery UAV included what appear to be a munitions payload – presumably for military uses the China-based company recently condemned. Autel informed DroneDJ Monday the photos are fake, and that it’s working to identify their source.
The continuing hubbub arose when Spanish tech expert, developer, and drone fan Konrad Iturbe spotted what were billed as pre-order ads for the Titan heavy-lift drone – first on an Autel distributor site, then an EBay storefront – featuring photos of the craft carrying payload resembling munitions. The detail was remarkable on its own right, with consumer and enterprise UAV makers being uniformly averse to the re-purposing of their products for martial or aggressive purposes.
It raised eyebrows even higher, meanwhile, coming on the heels of Autel’s December repetition of an earlier position of it being “firmly against the use of drone products for military purposes.” The statement also dismissed reports claiming the firm’s craft are among countless China-made UAVs being exported to Russia for deployment in its invasion of Ukraine, saying “concerns raised in any media about Autel technology being used for illegal purposes are unfounded and speculative.”
Update January 8
Autel responded to DroneDJ‘s queries about the images with flat refutation of their authenticity, the company’s links to them, or suggestions the firm sells its craft for non-peaceful use.
“We would like to categorically state that these images are not from us, and we are as shocked and disturbed by them as anyone else,” an Autel email noted, before restating the pacifist theme of its December statement. “We want to assure our customers, partners, and the public that we will not create, endorse, or market any content that goes against these principles. We are currently conducting a thorough investigation to identify the source of these misleading images. Rest assured that we take this matter seriously, and appropriate actions will be taken against those responsible for spreading false information.”
Autel also stressed that it operates no sales outlets on the “eBay platform… (and) our only official online store is listed on our website https://www.autelrobotics.com/wheretobuy/official_online_stores/.”
But the spirit of Autel’s previous statement was in such contrast with the contents of the online, munition-filled photo that Iturbe called it out online upon spotting the shocking imagery.
It’s more than surprising that Autel would ever consider promoting the Titan – a $52,500-plus enterprise drone with a 60-minute flight maximum and 22 lbs. payload capacity, outfitted with 35x optical zoom, 8k RGB, and thermal cameras – with photos of it toting bombs. First off, doing so would be certain to provoke precisely the kind of uproar the images ignited through association with violent deployment that UAV manufacturers have assiduously avoided up until now.
That outcry, moreover, represents unwanted attention to the firm as it weathers the initial effects of a new US law formalizing what had been piecemeal blacklisting of Chinese craft for official use by federal agencies. Active drone and tech gear leaker Igor Bogdanov noted that unfortunate timing amid anti-China sentiments in the US – and pro-Ukraine support across Europe – in his response to the armed Autel Titan photos.
But might the photos be faked by someone wanting to create trouble for Autel? After all, the munitions the Titan drone appears to be carrying look as much like rifle bullets or blanks they do actual bombs to the untrained eye.
It would appear that was indeed the case, with Autel now saying it will pull out the stops to find out who uploaded the fraudulent images and presumably make them suffer the legal price for those.
Samuel Bendett, a specialist on drone, robotics, and other tech deployment in conflict situations for the Center for Naval Analysis think tank responded to the reported photos agreeing it would indeed have been curious for Autel to run such an ad.
Yet he noted the preponderance of consumer UAVs from Autel, DJI, and other Chinese makers that continue being supplied to Russia and Ukraine by third-party exportes despite company sales bans makes circulation of such images inevitable.
“Autel drones are used both in combat and in training by both sides,” Bendett tells DroneDJ. “In fact, Ukraine recently made a very large Autel drone purchase. It’s likely that DJI drones are still preferred, but Autel quadcopters are still highly valued… (The ads) are probably just using the types of munitions which are often dropped from quadcopters and multirotors in Ukraine, such as VOG munitions and similar explosives.”
Responding to Iturbe’s initial revelation, DroneAnalyst’s David Benowitz shared Bendett’s view about the coherency of the surprising images appearing, and the use of Autel drones in the Russo-Ukraine war.
“Wild, but aligns with rumors we’ve heard before about Autel leaning into the Ukraine invasion to grow revenue,” Benowitz wrote on social media.
Autel denies that’s the case, and reaffirms its condemnation of its drones being used in wars and other conflict situations. That, however, won’t prevent it from launching an offensive of its own on whomever uploaded the now notorious renditions of its Titan delivery drone.
Image: Igor Bogdanov (provided on request to DroneDJ)
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